


Cowards

by zanier



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: APH America x Reader, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2019-01-19 01:44:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12400536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zanier/pseuds/zanier





	Cowards

Inviting Alfred to a ghost hunting was classic, lame, and obvious, but Y/N chose to put it into plan anyway. She already thought of that before, but did not really take it seriously, for she herself was a secret coward unlike Alfred who was an overt one, so that specific way of getting closer with Alfred that was suggested by their friends was not part of her choices. But perhaps there were just times that one must take the last resort.

Preparing good flashlight, extra set of batteries, and some sandwiches made Y/N the center of ridicule among their friends. “Are you going camping?”; “I bet you brought a sleeping bag.” were just some greetings she received from Gilbert and Mathias as she arrived at the meeting place with a backpack. The two laughing friends did not even bother to bring their own source of light, as they both insisted they were dazzling enough.

Sometimes, Y/N was asking herself why she even happened to belong to this group of friends, and she would instantly remember it was because of Alfred. Lucky for her, there was also Kiku who was not as silly as the other three. Kiku did not seem to really want to go with them, for he would rather stay at home and spend the night watching anime series. None among Y/N, Alfred, and Gilbert would admit who forced him to come, though, but he was now here with them and brought a small flashlight and camera with him.

This plan would not work if Alfred would not come. How could one coward act so excited upon being invited to something he feared and would not really show up to the set time and place? But three years of pranking other people together was enough for them to know how Alfred could be either the earliest or latest to arrive; there was no in between.

Kiku would not always participate in the pranks, but he was an easy source of information where the usual targets Arthur, Lukas, and Ludwig were; while Y/N, though not as skillful in pranking people as the three, would always be there to watch, laugh, or scold the three if their planned prank might cause harm to others. “Sorry, Mom.” was a common line from the three as they quickly thought of another prank, while Kiku would secretly take pictures of their failed attempts rejected by Y/N, or whenever they were the ones who got in their own troubles they set for others. Of course, Y/N’s dreamy stares at Alfred did not escape Kiku, especially in those that he already secretly captured.

Too bad for Y/N and Kiku, they were also sometimes the subject of the three’s pranks. Like that one time Gilbert easily snatched Kiku’s camera from his hand and checked the photos with Mathias, and they laughed at their own silliness. But the two were not as dense as Alfred, so seeing Y/N’s dreamy stares at the loud American did not escape their attention and secret pranks.

Twenty minutes of being late was not so bad, but it was getting darker, and staying out very late was not part of the plan. Y/N’s stored courage and energy had decreased, especially now that Alfred was finally here. She took it seriously, that Alfred was a big coward, so she thought she should take responsibility of the ghost hunting, that she should be the one to defend him if ever something paranormal happened.

Mathias and Gilbert could not contain their laughter. “Wow, we have two campers here!” And they easily disturbed the silence of that night in the cemetery, the meeting place.

“Sorry, I’m late! Let’s start the adventure!” False courage was evident in Alfred’s tone and forced laughter. Perhaps he took time deciding whether he would really join the search or not. But he was there with them now ready and afraid.

The plan was to silently walk together around the old cemetery that was also the largest in their town. But that original plan was weak, and of course, Mathias, Gilbert, and Kiku knew better. How could Alfred be more scared if his four companions seemed to not care? None of the four knew that Y/N was another scared cat, for she was good in pretending to be fearless, just like how she pretended to be just a friend, though the latter was already found out.

Getting bored by the supposed ‘fun adventure’, Mathias and Gilbert signaled to Kiku to set their own plan into action. Walking behind the two targets and bringing no flashlight of their own, with Kiku’s flashlight off, made it easier for the three to leave the two. And it was only some moments later that the two cowards realized their friends were no longer with them.

“Oh man. Mathias? Gil? Kiku?! Fuck, I knew it.” Alfred was starting to get nervous.

Y/N’s heart started to beat faster, not because she was in love, but because she was scared. “Guys! What the heck, where are you?” She called to her friends trying to not shout very loud.

“Damn those three. Especially Kiku.” Alfred could not believe he was being pranked at such crucial time. To hide his fear, he thought of a cheerful topic for conversation. “Do you think they left to prank the dead? Or should we prank them? Our friends or the dead?”

Alfred’s suggestion did not help both of them to stay calm. But Y/N had a better idea. “Goodness, Alfred, let’s just finish this stupid adventure and go home.” With that, Y/N opened her bag and showed Alfred her packed sandwiches.

They should have chosen a small cemetery, not this one that seemed to be endless, Y/N thought, unless they did not know they were just going in circles. Finding the exit which meant going back to the entrance was never this hard. It was a very quiet night and only Alfred munching on the sandwiches could be heard. It was a good distraction, though, to both of them. But Y/N was not in the mood to eat hers; trying to stay alert for possible combat or flight if ever some of the residents there woke up.

Y/N being busy hiding her own fear and just being silent, Alfred felt the chills in the atmosphere. Having finished all the sandwiches even those that were for the three, except Y/N’s, he resorted to playing with his flashlight to keep him distracted, though not very careful on not pointing its brightness to some graves. And having caught something moving from behind a tomb was not a good distraction.

So this was how it felt like being hugged, no, being wrapped around Alfred’s arms to death. This was not romantic at all. Especially Y/N also shrieked herself when Alfred suddenly seemed to crush her by his panic hug.

“Y/N, something moved.” Alfred whispered to Y/N; believing that it would not be a good idea to let whatever that caused the movement know that he knew it moved.

Y/N was getting really scared, that she could not say any word. But she wanted to get rid of that fear. Alfred hugging her and facing a fear? Two birds in one stone. She did not see herself what really moved. And thinking if it would be safe enough to investigate or simply to run away, she decided to focus her flashlight to where Alfred saw something moved, but before she could do so, a light flashed from its direction. And then another one. And then another one.

Maybe it was now time to run away. And that was what they did. Two cowards holding hands while running to nowhere with the lights from their flashlights showing them the same paths they had already traversed. They finally realized they were just back at the same spot, perhaps more than three times. And they were scared even more.

“Shit! Y/N we should remove our clothes!” Alfred suggested.

“What the heck, Al?” Y/N was furious.

“No! I mean, we should wear it inside out! Heard it before somewhere haha!” His trying to laugh to hide his fear was not very effective.

The legend was suddenly familiar to Y/N, that when one was lost, the clothes should be worn inside out and the right way out should be found. Flashes of light were see again, and Y/N was about to do Alfred’s suggestion and was ready to pull up her shirt when a trail of light approached them.

The two let out a duet of scream as an old man with white long hair in outdated clothes hurried towards their direction. “What is with youth today?!”

The old man might have looked not so alive, but his voice was very lively. Y/N was scared but her mind was still functioning properly, and so she focused her flashlight to the old man that they could barely see.

“How rude!” was the old man’s reaction and directed his own flashlight to the two cowards who were now quiet.

“It’s human. Y/N, it’s an alive human!” Alfred could not contain his happiness and crushed Y/N once more.

“Of course, I am!!” The old man was offended.

“Goodness, Al, I can’t breathe.” Y/N then looked at the old man apologetically after being freed from Alfred’s strong hold. “We’re very sorry to disturb you, sir. We got lost.”

“I see. I thought it was something else. I’ll show you out.” The old man directed the faint of his flashlight to the path, and realized that something was out of place, rather, something was added. “Youth, tsk.” He walked to some distance from the two to investigate, and instantly he knew. He removed artistically painted giant plywood that was blocking the way to the cemetery gate.

And the two already knew who the pranksters might be. They both let out a sigh of relief before walking after the old man to thank him. Y/N remembered her sandwich and decided to give it to the old man who seemed to not have eaten properly. If only she did not let Alfred ate the other sandwiches, she could have given those to the old man as well. The old man looked so happy and gave Y/N a grateful smile before he led the two to the gate and bade them goodbye. He walked back to where he came from and just vanished into thin air and left the three hiding friends gaping in shock.

Walking together outside the cemetery safe and sound, Alfred and Y/N were suddenly laughing for no specific reason; well, Y/N was laughing because of Alfred’s contagious laugh.

“That was amazing, Y/N! We should try it again next time!” Alfred’s loud voice was booming. It was a good thing that that cemetery was not very near residential area.

Mocking frown and laughter was Y/N’s reply before she spoke. “Are you kidding me? Al, you were more scared than me!”

“I mean the hug haha!” Alfred continued to laugh loudly until its volume decreased. And then there was just silence again. “Well, uh, it was my idea, this adventure, I mean. I told Gil and Mathias to ask you to come. And I thought I can be brave if I’m with you. Turns out I am more scared haha. And that’s kinda embarrassing for a hero like me who thought you’d be scared and then hug me. But what happened was the opposite. What I really want to…”

“You’re so talkative and loud. Okay, keep talking.” Y/N then smiled at him.

“Will you tell them I was not super scared?” Alfred almost pleaded.

Y/N was just staring at him with amazement and a steady admiring smile. “No, Alfie. I’ll tell them you were so scared you almost killed me.”

Thanks to the darkness of the night, Alfred’s slowly turning red face was not very obvious. He awkwardly moved closer to Y/N and wrapped her in his arms before he whispered to her ear. “I won’t tell them how soft you are.”

Alfred was a better pretender after all. The dim streetlights was a witness to echoes of awkward confessions that were perfectly captured by the flashing of lights coming from somewhere the two no longer cared to find out what. Crushing each other, rather, holding each other in their arms would not welcome any prank. And going home soon was the target as of now. Perhaps the next day, they should ask for Kiku some copies of their embracing their unnecessary pretensions.


End file.
